28 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEK. 



[ January 8, 1867. 



quently the case witli the later part of the crop, more parti- 

 cularly in heavy, damp soils, aud where the quantity grown 

 being large it is impracticable to take it up and store it away. 



The usual materials employed in the protection of Celery 

 are fern, straw, or litter of any sort ; but all of these are in- 

 suliicient to resist such drenching rains as we have experienced 

 during the past autumn. The natural growth of the plant i-s 

 certainly above ground ; the consequence is when it is treated 

 artificially, by being buried root and stem, it is more liable to 

 decay if not properly protected from an excess of wet. 



The way we manage to save all our crop, let the weather be 

 what it may, is as follows ; the expense is rather considerable 

 at first, but eventually a great saving is effected : — A quantity 

 of old sailcloth was purchased at a sale, and it was cut into 

 strips wide enough to form a kind of avch over the plants 

 in the rows. A few stakes driven in between the plants along 

 the row, with a strip of wood nailed over the top of the stakes, 

 are sufficient to support the cloth. Pegs stuck in at each side 

 of the ridge, a little below where the edge of the cloth reaches, 

 and some strings attached to the cloth, will secure it from high 

 ^?inds. The cloth has a coating of tar, which enables it to re- 

 sist the heaviest rain, as well as a severe frost, without in the 

 least interfering with the foliage of the plants. After the rain 

 or frost has passed away the covering can be taken off with 

 JUtUe trouble. 



If the above material is not to be had, old doors or sashes 

 placed on each side of the ridge aud the side edges brought to 

 meet over the plants, will answer the purpose much better than 

 the littering system. A free circulation of air around the 

 foliage is necessary when the weather will permit. This is not 

 obtained if the plants are almost covered with litter on the first 

 appearance of frost, and the litter perhaps only removed as the 

 Celery may be required. — W. C, Bouyhton, StaplehursU 



JIATHIOLA BICORNIS. 



We think you should call attention to this very acceptable 

 addition to our annual flowers grown for their perfume. We 

 ean fully endorse all that Messrs. Backhouse said of it when 

 they sent it out, -which is saying a great deal now-a-days, 

 when we see but few of the so-called "novelties" figuring a j 

 second year in flower-seed catalogues. Its only di-awback is 

 that the flowers are clceei in the daytime ; but we intend to 

 try it mixed with Phlox Drummondi, Petunias, or some annuals j 

 of hke growth this year, which will give the beds a pleasing ' 

 appearance by day. Like most of its tribe it was vigorously [ 

 attacked by slugs and snails, and doubtless in many places it 

 never was seen after sowing. 



The following is Messrs. Backhouses' description, slightly ' 

 abbreviated, and we advise all who have not tried it to do so 

 in the coming season : — 



" An evening-scented Stock of unrivalled fragrance, from the 

 mountains of Greece. No annual in cultivation, even including 

 Mignonette, surpasses or perhaps equals this in the powerful 

 and yet delicate perfume of its flowers. At 100 yards distance 

 the scent of a bed of this annual, on a summer's evening, is 

 often so stroug as to arrest special attention. The plant grows 

 1 foot or more in height — the upper half or two-thirds being 

 a branching spike of pink and lilac blossoms, partially closed 

 during the daytime (when the scent is feeble), but expanding 

 fully towards evening, and remaining so ditring the night and 

 early morning. Unlike some ' night-scented ' flowers, this is 

 pleasing in colour, and, especially when grown in a mass, forms 

 quite a pretty effect. The perfume resembles that of the Stock 

 and Sweet-scented Clematis combined. It must be treated as 

 a common hardy annual." 



In reference to Mr. Eobson's hint that we should give a few 

 notes on the Apples suited for orchard culture, we beg to say 

 that press of business at this season prevents us doing so ; but 

 we shall endeavour to give such a list some time this year. — 

 Thomas BnNYAKD & Soss. 



PORTRAITS OF PLANTS, FLOWERS, AND 

 FRUITS. 



Cattleya Dowiana (Captain Dow's Cattleya). — Nat. ord., 

 Orchidacea;. Linn., Gynandria Monandria. Native of Costa 

 Eica. Flowers yellowish nankeen ; lip crimson purple, with 

 yellow lines. A superb species. — {Bot. Mag., t. 5618.) 



BowiEA voiiDBiLis (Twining Bowiea). — Nat. ord., Liliacese 



I Ann., Hexandria Monogynia. Native of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. Curious, but inconspicuous. — {Ibid-, t. .5619.) 



CcBCUMA ACSTBALASici (Australian Wild Turmeric). — Nat. 

 ord., Zingiberaceap. Linn., Monandria Monogynia. Introduced 

 by Messrs. Veitch. Native of Cape York, Australia. Flowers 

 yellow; upper bracts pink. — (Ibid., t. 5620.) 



HELi.tsTiLEMOM ocYHoiDES (BasH-like Rock-rose). — Nat. ui-d., 

 Cistaceffi. Linn., Poljandria Monogjmia. — Native of Spain 

 and Portugal, ilowers yellow, with plum-coloured eye. — 

 (Ibid., t. 5621.) 



Grus caulifloka (Anchovy Pear). — Nat. ord., Myrtacea;. 

 Linn., Monadelphia Polyandria. Native of West Indies. — 

 (Ibid., t. 5622.) 



Pelakgoniuh — Meteor, a tricoloiued. Eaised by Mr. Salt- 

 marsh, Chelmsford. In the style of Mrs. PoUock.— (Ftoral 

 Ma<i.. pi. 321.) 



Aquilegia pvkenaica. — A dwarf species. Flowers purplish 

 hlue.— (Ibid.., pL 322.) 



EosE — Napoleon III. A Hybrid Perpetual, raised by 

 M. Eugene Verdier. Dark crimson. — (Ibid., pi. 323.) 



Pansies — Thomas Doienie, white, purple llotch and fringe. 

 Miss J. Kay, yellow, crimson maroon blotch. Imperial Blue, 

 blue, with deep purple blotch. Hurjh Adair, v.-hite, dark mauve 

 blotch. Eaised by Mr. Fleming, Cliveden.— (/Mrf., pi. 324.) 



Azalea — Her Majesty " is a sport from iladame Miellez, and 

 one of the finest Azaleas which have yet been obtained, both as 

 regards form and substance, while in colour and marking it is 

 quite distinct from all others. The flowers are of the full 

 average size, and the colour is a soft lilac-tinted blush more or 

 less dense, white at the margin, thickly spotted with crimson 

 in the upper part, and marked with variable stripes, or some- 

 times broadish bars of deep rosy purple. Its high quality as 

 regards the flower itself, and this novelty of colouring, wUl 

 make it an acquisition in any collection of these showy plants. 

 Mr. Barnes says, ' I have never seen anything like a spurious 

 flower upon it ; and it is also a strong, robust grower ' — two 

 quahties which add immensely to its value." — (Florist and 

 Fomologist, vi., 2.) 



INTENSE COLD. 

 By our Meteorological Report it appears that the temperature 

 near London feU in the past week to a lower point than has 

 been recorded at any time during the last forty-one years. 

 The minimum thermometer at Chis wick indicated on Saturday 

 morning the 5th inst, that the lowest temperature during the 

 previous twenty-four hours had been 11° below zero, or 43° below 

 freezing. We are assured that the instrument was correct, and 

 that its readings corresponded with other thermometers in the 

 neighbourhood. It will be very interesting if our readers will 

 communicate the temperatures registered in other parts of the 

 country, and, as soon as it shall be apparent , the damage done 

 to vegetation. 



OKEFORD FITZrAINE. 



A SMAEL, quiet, Dorsetshire village, nestling amidst the 

 downs, and surrounded by orchards and pasture lands, where 

 cider enough, and sour enough to give cholera to half the 

 county, is made, and whence rich Dorset butter finds its way 

 to the great aU-devouring metropoUs ; with its church recently 

 and well restored, without any of that gaudiness at which good 

 taste must revolt ; very hke, I dare say, to many another 

 village in its neighbourhood — such is the quiet haven where 

 I believe we may say our good friend and ardent Rose-lover, 

 Mr. Eadclyffe, has anchored, or rather, let us say, is laid up 

 in ordinary for the rest of his days. When one writes of 

 Okeford Fitzpaine it is like wi-iting about Stratford- on- Avon. 

 It is the residence of our Eose-growing friend that wUl give 

 it an interest in the eyes of the readers of The Joih-.nal of 

 Horticulture, even as it is the " Swan of Avon " that makes 

 Stratford the place of pilgrimage for many a true-hearted 

 Englishman. Many a Eose-grower will find his, aye, and if 

 not afraid of the bachelor Eose-grower, her way thither, 

 and I know wOl ever find a hearty welcome. Let them drive 

 up with a Marcchal Niel or Jules Margottin in their button- 

 hole, and " open sesame " wiU be the word. Thither at the 

 close of November I found myself wending my way ; and 

 albeit it was the wrong time of the year for Eoses and 

 Strawberries, I yet knew we should have a genial talk together, 

 and that our imagination would clothe the Eoses with their 

 many-coloured blossoms, make us inhale the fragrance of the 

 Strawberries, and even detect the bloom on the Peach trees. 



